Community Spotlight: Steve Treece

At the heart of Hancock County is one thing: the community. The people who make up the community are unique and diverse in interests, backgrounds, and stories. Over the next few months we will be highlighting members of the community that you may see behind a shop counter, at an event, or in the grocery store and their stories. This month we will be featuring Steve Treece, one of the six co-founders and CEO of Findlay Brewing Company!

Several years ago six men hatched a plan where many plans had been hatched before – during a weekly drinking session at the West End Tavern. However, while other plans may have fizzled out, this one stuck and the idea for the Findlay Brewing Company was born. Among those six men was Steve Treece, who, while he enjoyed a good brew, was not a brewer himself but enjoyed partaking in a good beer, found himself caught in the process. The group purchased a small brewing system and began brewing in Steve’s garage. Since there was only one micro-brewery in Northwest Ohio at the time, the group decided they would attempt to create a brewery in Findlay and purchased a small building and were able to obtain a license. When one of the original men had to drop out of the business to pursue his career, Steve’s wife Susan (who doesn’t like beer!) joined the group, which includes their son Alex, as well as friends Aaron Osborne, Ben Walton, and Josh Heitkamp. In 2013 the group officially released their first beer, American Bitter, and haven’t slowed down since. Since then they have created beers like Hancocked, Floodwater Stout, Ohio Weather, and so many more. Steve’s favorite part of running Findlay Brewing Company is working the Tap Room and interacting with customers. It is nearly unfathomable that Steve has not always possessed the knowledge he now has about the different beers and the brewing process. He is happy to recommend the best beer for your tastes and is very proud of the quality product and various, interesting beers they have created. Whether you are looking for something more traditional to drink or are looking for something with a unique flair, the variety of beers Findlay Brewing Company has produced will make everyone happy (and the names are fun too!). The flavors vary week-to-week and season-to-season but finding favorites is part of the experience. Share with Steve what kind of beer you enjoy, whether that be an IPA or a stout or something in between and he will send you home a happy customer.

A fire this past winter set Findlay Brewing Company back slightly, their Tap Room is no longer open for the time being to serve beer, but you can fill your growler(s) with your favorite(s) and enjoy it at home. In fact, few things will make you the star of the party faster than a couple growlers of Findlay Brewing Company Beer. However this is a small setback in the grand scheme of things. Steve is excited to move into their new space on Crawford Street that will allow them to expand in size as well as brewing capacity. The increased size will allow them to serve more people and deliver their beer to even more locations than they already do. Not only is Steve the CEO of Findlay Brewing Company but he is also an active member of the community. You may see him out and about enjoying the bar and restaurant scene in Downtown Findlay, and especially enjoying the atmosphere, great food and even better people at Rossilli’s or you may see him on stage performing with his band, The Athen Ry, along with fellow members Jason Wagner, Alex Treece, Maria Weigman, and Matt Walker. The Athen Ry is an Irish/Folk Band that has garnered a lot of popularity regionally and often perform in Findlay as well as around the area. If Steve isn’t performing, he still enjoys attending local events. Oktoberfest Findlay! is naturally a favorite of Steve’s as it focuses so much on one of his passion – beer!